The White Russian Grows Up

Aspen locals looking for a break from the slopes head to Chefs Club, the restaurant run by Food & Wine that showcases the work of up-and-coming and internationally famous culinary artists. Some of the hot spot's current winter dishes: grilled elk with pumpkin gnocchi, apple-cider glazed Berkshire pork chops, black truffle poached halibut with zucchini and basil. The flavors are, simply put, big – which makes choosing the right cocktail tricky.

Executive Bar Director Anthony Bohlinger has crafted a vast drinks menu to complement the artfully crafted dishes but frequent customers often just order the Gentleman's Ridge. This different take on the classic White Russian let's whiskey, dairy, and bitters fight it out on the rocks. "I wanted to do a gourmet play on a classic milk punch," says Bohlinger. "I broke down the DNA of the classic cocktail [bourbon, sugar, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and dairy] and pretty much figured what I could swap out."

The cocktail expert suggests pairing the cocktail with pork chops or desert items. "It would work with our Valrhona Chocolate Moelleux, which is pretty much a warm chocolate lava cake with a quenelle of coffee ice cream."

Gentleman's Ridge

Ingredients

2 oz whiskey

.75 oz milk jam (see below)

.75 oz half-and-half

4 dashes of bitters

Preparation

Shake and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with grated cinnamon and a mint sprig.